Cold
by Ivory4
Summary: Life doesn't always end happily ever after... *Please R/R, it's my first Matrix fic*
1. A Beginning

Chapter One: A Beginning  
  
He could hardly believe it. Neo could hardly comprehend that Trinity loved him. In some corner of his mind a voice whispered that this was a dream, that it was all a dream, that none of this was real. But he knew as he looked up at her, into her sapphire eyes; he realized as their lips met that was the most real thing he had ever done or felt. How could she have brought him back if this wasn't real, if she hadn't really loved him?  
  
It was so amazing to him that she loved him. That she felt the same way he did about her. He had glimpsed something, a glimmer of her feelings when he had pulled her up onto the roof; something seemed so close to happening. But then Morpheus had come, and the moment was lost. He had told himself that it was all imagined, that it was just his wishful thinking. Trinity, after all, was not the type to fall in love. You would know that the moment you saw her. Yet as they broke apart, he knew that she had. With him. It just didn't seem possible.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Trinity had finally told him. At last she had told him the truth. She had wanted to for so long. She had been aching to tell him how she felt, how much she was in love with him. But something had held her back; something had kept her from it. Some deeply rooted pride, perhaps- she was a soldier, and soldiers didn't have feelings. She couldn't have told him.  
  
It was all as the Oracle had said it would be. She had fallen in love with him, from the moment she saw him standing alone in that club, looking so out of place. And this rabbit-hole was so deep it scared her. That she could care for someone so much was terrifying. She couldn't imagine living without him, breathing without him. And he was the One, that was certain. But there was that final piece of the prediction. That thing she had been dreading, more and more as each day passed and she fell deeper. But it had finally happened. He died.  
  
She had felt strangely calm as she told him. Even with the Sentinels boring in from above, she had felt completely calm. And he did come back. She didn't know if he had heard what she told him, but he came back, and that was all that mattered to her. He had killed an agent, and then finally woke to the Real World again at the last moment. Just before the ENP had gone off, he had come back. For a moment she had just stood there, a Sentinel lying a few feet away from her as she flung herself over his still form. But then he had stirred, and opened his eyes, and looked up at her. And she knew as he reached up and kissed her that she wasn't the only one that had fallen down another rabbit-hole.  
  
So now here they were. The ship lay practically in ruins around them. Glancing around as she helped Neo get up, Trinity saw that everyone seemed to be fine. Morpheus turned suddenly and looked at Neo somewhat triumphantly.  
  
"Do you believe now, Trinity?" he asked. Tank turned and stared in amazement. But had they seen? They both wondered. It didn't seem likely, they had both just turned away from the screens. And they couldn't possibly have heard her before, with the noise of the Sentinels sawing through. So she was safe for now, safe from others knowing. Glancing at Neo, she saw that he would shout it from the rooftops if given the chance. He wasn't really the type to keep this secret. But Trinity was. She didn't like people knowing her feelings, her secrets. So what was to be done?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Neo wiped sweat off his brow and stood up, wincing as a twinge of pain shot through his leg. He had been crouching under that machinery for quite some time, though. A little stiffness was to be expected. He was finally done with it, thankfully. The vent system would work fine now. Glancing around, he made his way toward the mess room to take a break.  
  
The mess room door screeched noisily as he pushed it open and walked in. To his surprise Trinity was sitting there, her back to the door. Trinity didn't normally take breaks. At the noise she turned. When she saw who it was she smiled slightly.  
  
"Hi," she said softly. "Taking a break?" He smiled and nodded as he walked around the table and sat down next to her. "Neo, we need to talk," she began hesitantly, turning towards him.  
  
His heart cringed, fearing what she would say next. That it was all a mistake, a misunderstanding, she didn't love him. That she had just wanted to bring him back...  
  
Neo's thoughts trailed off as Trinity spoke again. "I love you, Neo, I really do. It's just that..." she paused for a moment, unsure of how to explain this. "Could we - could we not tell the others?" she said at last, failing to think of anything better.  
  
"Why?" he asked, his brow creasing slightly.  
  
"It's just that - I just - please, Neo, can't we just not tell them?" she asked haltingly. Neo was amazed at the tone of her voice, it was almost - pleading. Why did she care so much? Instead of asking, he just nodded.  
  
"Yeah, sure. If you really don't want them to know," he said.  
  
Trinity smiled at him, and Neo smiled back. But even as he went to kiss her, he couldn't help wondering why her eyes had looked so sad as she smiled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Trinity sat on the floor of her quarters with her head resting against the edge of her cot. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them. She was thinking. Thinking about how much she hated herself for not even being able to tell two of the people she cared most for that she was in love with someone. She knew why, of course. Deep inside, she was afraid that they would see it as a weakness. Logically, she knew this wasn't true. But something in her wouldn't let herself admit this.  
  
God, Trinity, you're pathetic. she thought, both sad and angry at the same time. Letting her head fall against her knees, she sighed.  
  
A sudden knock at the door made her jump.  
  
"Who is it?" she called, hastily standing and smoothing her clothes.  
  
"Neo."  
  
"Come in," she said, sitting on the edge of her bed and quickly removing any emotion from her face. The door opened and Neo stepped into her quarters. He looked at her and frowned slightly as he shut the door.  
  
"Trinity, what's wrong?" he asked, taking a few steps forward. He knew something was wrong. Her face didn't give anything away, of course, it was its usual blank mask. But he could feel it. She looked at him questioningly.  
  
"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong," she replied. He shook his head.  
  
"Alright. I was just coming to tell you that it's time for dinner," he said as he turned back towards the door. "Trin- I love you. I wish you would tell me," he added softly as he walked the few steps to the door. Trinity stood up.  
  
"Neo, wait-"  
  
He turned to look at her.  
  
"I - I love you too, Neo. And really, I' m fine," she said as she walked up to him. "Let's go eat that delicious food waiting for us," she added with a smile in a rare display of her sense of humor. He smiled back and they both walked towards the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Outside Tank walked hurriedly away, trying to process what he had just heard. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop; he had just been going to tell Trinity about dinner. But when he had heard voices, he paused for a moment. And a moment was all it took for him to hear Neo telling Trinity that he loved her. And Trinity had done the same. It was unbelievable. Trinity and Neo?  
  
He pushed open the door to the mess and walked in, hurriedly getting a bowl of goop and sliding into a seat at the table. Just in time, too. A moment later Trinity and Neo walked in the door, talking about one of the many parts of the ship that still needed repairs. They both got themselves some goop and sat down across from each other.  
  
"Hey Tank," Neo said, nodding his head at him. Trinity turned slightly and gave him a small smile. They started talking again and Tank watched intently, while at the same time trying not to make it obvious that he was watching. He couldn't believe that he hadn't seen it before. Well, actually, he could. It wasn't that obvious. They weren't staring at each other with big puppy-eyes or anything, but still. Now that he knew it was easy to see. Just how they would look at each other said everything. How they talked, the way that they smiled at each other. There was even kind of a feeling in the room.  
  
Unbelievable. he thought. Trinity and Neo in love. What's next? Shaking his head, Tank returned to eating his goop.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
(A/N: This is my first Matrix fic, and only my third fic ever, so please R&R. I don't care if you flame, I'd just like some feedback! Thanks, Ch.2 will be up tomorrow or the day after. Probably.) 


	2. Dreams

Chapter Two: Dreams  
  
Trinity lay on her bed fast asleep. Her mouth twitched every now and then; sometimes she would murmur an unintelligible word. She was dreaming.  
  
They were in the Matrix. All of them, Apoc, Switch, Mouse, and even Cypher. Of course Neo was there. They were in the middle of a city, in an obviously bad part of town. Suddenly agents came out of nowhere, instead of doing the sensible thing (running) they all stood and fought. One by one they all went down: Mouse first, then Cypher, a moment later Apoc, and at last even Switch was gone. It was just she and Neo, fighting nearly back-to-back amid a sea of dark suits and sunglasses. For just a moment it seemed as if they might have a chance, but then she heard him gasp, felt him stumble. She whirled and saw Neo struggling to stand, clutching his hand to his stomach.  
  
"Neo!" she cried, running toward him without a second thought about the agents. Slowly he fell to his knees, just as she reached him. The agents seemed to fade away into the background. "Neo," she said again, this time in a whisper, as she knelt beside him. She could see the blood seeping from between his fingers; the dark liquid slowly spread down his shirt. At last she looked into his eyes. "Neo, you can't die. You're the One," she whispered. "You can 't die." He looked up at her, his expression unreadable for just a moment.  
  
"Get away from me," he choked out haltingly. The blood drained away from her face, leaving her sheet-white.  
  
"Neo - I -I" she stuttered, utterly confused, tears already beginning to course down her cheeks.  
  
"Trinity. I never loved you," he breathed out. His last breath. His hand fell from his stomach revealing a small bullet hole. She sat there for a moment, stunned. The man that she loved was dead - and he hated her. He said that he had never loved her. But no. It couldn't be true. He had to love her.  
  
~Why?~ a little voice in her mind whispered. ~You don't deserve to have him love you.~  
  
~Yes I do.~ she thought. ~I do, he did love me, because- because- what is the point of anything if he didn't?~  
  
Unable and unwilling to think anymore, Trinity hugged her knees and sobbed. It was the only thing she could do.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Trinity woke with a start, sitting up in her bed. Her face was wet with tears, which she slowly wiped away. It was just a dream. It wasn't real. But somehow, even though she knew realistically that Neo was asleep in his own bed not so very far away, she couldn't help thinking that somehow it was real. Slowly she climbed out of bed and walked to the door, shivering. As quietly as she could she made her way to his room. After a moment she opened the door, barely hearing the slight noise it made. She had to see.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Neo heard a faint noise through the fog of sleep and his eyes cracked open. There was light coming into his room from the doorway...He sat up, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Trinity?" he said, confused. "Trinity? What's going on?" He stumbled out of bed and walked over to her, still not fully awake. She just stared at him for a moment, silent. "Trin?" he repeated, peering into her face as he took her hands. He saw that her eyes were red, and that her face was damp. She had been crying.  
  
Not knowing what else to do, Neo hugged her. She laid her head on his shoulder, starting to cry again as she though of what it would be like if really did die. If he really didn't love her.  
  
"God, Trin, you're shaking," he murmured. "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, pulling away from her.  
  
"Do you love me?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.  
  
"Of course! I will always love you, Trinity," he said, hugging her again. She clung to him. "Do you - do you want to stay here?" he asked hesitantly. She nodded and they walked over to the bed. She slipped under the covers and he slid in after her, folding his arms around her. Trinity stifled sobs as the image of him dying ran through her head over and over. Neo took one of her hands in his and she shifted closer against him. It broke his heart to hear her practically sobbing. "It's okay, Trin," he whispered. Slowly she rolled over to face him. "It's okay," he repeated, gently wiping her tears away with his thumb. Suddenly she laid her face against his chest and started sobbing. Neo held her close to him, gently rubbing her back and stroking her hair. "Shhhhh," he murmured into her ear. "It's okay." Gradually she stopped trembling, as at last she cried herself to sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Neo woke she was gone. If he hadn't known better he might have thought that he had dreamed it all. But no, Trinity had come into his room in the middle of the night. Crying. Sobbing.  
  
Why? he wondered, rubbing a hand over his eyes. What could've happened? For after all, Trinity crying was the height of weirdness. Still pondering this, Neo quickly got dressed and went off to work on yet another of the Neb's endless repairs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	3. Arguments

Chapter Three: Arguments  
  
Trinity angrily twisted a wrench around and around a bolt, ignoring the fact that the bolt was already tightened as much as it could be.  
  
Why did I have to go to his room? Crying? she asked herself, pausing for a moment to brush a piece of hair out of her eye. Now he 's going to think I'm just some weak, crybaby -  
  
"Shit!" she exclaimed, dropping the wrench and grabbing her thumb. She had pinched it under the wrench, not paying attention to what she was doing.  
  
"You okay?" she heard a voice call from behind her. Standing up, she turned. Neo was standing a few feet behind her; she hadn't even heard him coming.  
  
"I'm fine," she snapped, dropping her throbbing thumb. He held up his hands in mock surrender.  
  
"Sorry, sorry, I was just asking!" he said, smiling. He took a few steps forward and his face suddenly turned serious. "Trinity, about -" he paused for a moment, wondering if he should continue, considering how much those eyes of hers looked like ice at that moment. Taking a breath, he plunged forward. "-about last night-"  
  
"Neo, I really don't have time for this," she cut him off, turning away. He took a final step forward and hesitantly placed a hand on her arm. She turned back towards him. "I have to get this finished, Neo!" she said with a sigh.  
  
"Trinity, you can't just keep doing this! You can't just keep brushing me off, shutting me out, telling me that you're fine! There's something wrong, I know there is, so don't try to tell me that there isn't. Do you really think that I would believe that after last night?" he practically shouted. Her face didn't register any emotion except annoyance. It certainly didn't show how surprised she was that he was yelling at her.  
  
Just stay calm, Trinity, just stay calm... a voice whispered in her mind. She completely ignored it. So he wanted to shout, did he? Well she could yell too.  
  
"Just leave me alone, Neo! I don't have time for this!" she repeated, yelling right back into his face. She threw his hand off her arm, her eyes locked with his. "I have to get back to work," she said, speaking in a perfectly normal tone now. He just shook his head. She turned away, grabbing the wrench from where it lay on the floor. As she started to work again, she heard footsteps going away- but then they stopped. Glancing in the dull reflection a pipe gave she saw that he had stopped in the doorway.  
  
"Trin, please, just talk to me-" she heard from behind her. His voice was soft, apologetic.  
  
"I can't deal with this, Neo! Just back off, okay?" she yelled, her control shattered. She shut her eyes for a moment, willing herself to be calm.  
  
When she looked again, he was gone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Morpheus had been sitting in the mess, eating lunch - if you could call that gooey mess lunch, that is. He had been calculating how much more work the Nebuchadnezzar would need to make her flyable. Unfortunately, it was quite a lot. And there were no other ships in the area that could be spared to help. Sighing, he got up and prepared to leave.  
  
"Trinity, you can't just keep doing this! You can't just keep brushing me off, shutting me out, telling me that you're fine. There's something wrong, I know there is, so don't try to tell me that there isn't. Do you really think that I would believe that after last night?"  
  
He froze as the sound wafted through an air vent. It was Neo's voice, but why would he be yelling - at Trinity of all people? That was tantamount to suicide!  
  
"Just leave me alone, Neo! I don't have time for this!"  
  
Now Trinity was yelling back. Morpheus shifted uncomfortably; he had never been one to eavesdrop. He headed for the door, hoping that he wouldn't happen to hear anything else before he could make it out of the mess.  
  
He didn't make it to the door quite fast enough. Just as his hand touched the handle, the voice of Trinity came again.  
  
"I can't deal with this, Neo! Just back off, okay?"  
  
Morpheus frowned and hurriedly left the room, walking towards the control room.  
  
Why would Neo and Trinity be fighting? he wondered. And when can Trinity not deal with anything? The thought troubled him. He needed everyone to work together if they were to get out of here any time soon. But after all, it didn't sound any more serious than a lovers' quarrel- The thought quite literally stopped him in his tracks. If Neo and Trinity were having a lovers' quarrel, than that implied that they were-  
  
No. Impossible. I would have noticed something. As much as he tried to dissuade himself otherwise, his thoughts kept leading to that conclusion. Had he noticed anything? Morpheus thought long and hard. They had seemed to always be together in the mess whenever he went in.  
  
But that doesn't mean anything. More than half the time Tank was in there with them. But what about when Neo had first come back from dead, the way he kept looking at her? I could have been imagining it. he insisted to himself. As he began walking again, though, he found that he was finding more and more reasons to think that Neo and Trinity had been having a. . . lovers quarrel...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Neo regretted the words the second they had left his mouth.  
  
What am I doing? he had thought, practically panicked. She had yelled back at him, and that made it worse. The last thing he wanted in the world was for Trinity, the person he cared most about, to be mad at him.  
  
And oh, was she mad at him. He had been about to leave, not wanting to make things worse. But something bad made him turn back. If she would just tell him what was wrong...  
  
"I can't deal with this, Neo! Just back off, okay?"  
  
Her words echoed in his mind as he reconnected two wires that had been severed in the electrical system. Can't deal with what? Us? Me? he worried. What if what if I just ruined the best thing that ever happened to me?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Trinity sighed as she fiddled with a wire that was perfectly fine.  
  
You really blew it this time, Trinity. she snapped at herself. Looking around the room, she saw that there was nothing else that needed to be fixed. But she couldn't leave. What if she ran into him?  
  
This is just great. There was no reason for you to yell at him. Just because you have issues doesn't mean that you have to take it out on him... Suddenly she began pacing the small room.  
  
So what do you do now? a nagging, mocking voice murmured in her mind.  
  
I'll just go talk to him...tell him I didn't mean it... she thought. But she had meant it. She couldn't deal with it, with him, with them. Sometimes she just didn't know how to.  
  
So what now? How can you fix this mess? Trinity leaned against one of the walls, closing her eyes. It would take a while to figure this one out.  
  
*Well thanks to everybody who reviewed! It might take a little longer to get the next chapter up, I've been busy with summer school, so sorry. Probably within a couple days though!* 


	4. Alone

Chapter Four: Alone  
  
Neo rolled over in his bed. It was so different without Trinity beside him, so...cold. He winced as a painful cough shook him. He had been coughing a lot lately.  
  
He rolled over again, unable to find a comfortable position. The bed seemed so empty. It had been three days since the argument, and they hadn't spoken to each other since. He had wanted to, more than anything. But every time he got near her, something held him back. What if she was still mad at him? He didn't want to push her further away.  
  
She said to back off. he reminded himself. But still? What if she didn't really mean it? What if she thinks I'm mad at her? He rolled over again, his mind filled with indecision and confusion. What should I do?  
  
He knew that he couldn't live without her. He wouldn't be able to stand not talking to her or seeing her for much longer. Well, he had seen her. Technically. They had passed in the corridors several times, and during one excruciatingly awkward moment he had come into the mess room when she was already there. But it wasn't the same as really seeing her, looking into her eyes, talking with her. And he couldn't stand it. It was driving him crazy, being without her. At the same time, though, as much as he wanted to see her, he avoided her. Every time he saw her they ignored each other, and every time it was like a knife in his heart.  
  
He had tried, he really had, to bring himself to talk to her. But he just couldn't, not without knowing what she had meant. So he tried his hardest to stay away from where he knew she would be. He had gotten into the habit of eating only once a day, to cut down on the chances of running into her. He knew that he shouldn't. Be could already feel himself getting more tired, becoming weaker.  
  
Coughing again, he climbed out of bed and walked to the door.  
  
I'll just go, I'll just go to her room and tell her how sorry I-am. Right now. he told himself, willing himself to turn the handle. But he didn't. Just as he knew he would, he turned and flopped back onto his bed.  
  
This was driving him insane.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Trinity shivered and pulled the thin blankets more tightly around herself. It was so cold without him.  
  
Three days. she thought. Three days of hell. Three days of you being too proud, and too scared, to go tell him that you're sorry. She shifted, rolling onto her back.  
  
She hardly ever saw him anymore. He must have been avoiding her, or she would have run into him more often. She never saw him in the mess anymore. The last time she had seen him, passing in a hail, he had looked pale as death.  
  
What have you done? she screamed at herself. Why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn? You could just walk up to him anytime. You could just say, "Neo, I'm sorry." And he would forgive you. She sighed and turned over. She could never seem to get comfortable anymore.  
  
What have you done? she repeated to herself. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut to stop the tears from rolling down her face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Morpheus drummed his fingers on a table as he pondered on whether to call a meeting. He had seen Neo and Trinity avoiding each other. Every time one came around the other would find some excuse to leave. It had been going on for three days now, and he was worried. They had both stopped getting work done as fast. He had to admit to himself now that they were probably...lovers.  
  
The thought was still hard for him to accept, though. It seemed.odd. He sighed, shaking his head.  
  
It isn't up to me to say who falls in love with whom. he thought. But should I talk to them about it?  
  
He just couldn't decide. He wouldn't want to put them even more ill at ease with each other than they already were. . . but then again he needed them to get along.  
  
Oh, what to do? Frowning, he shook his head. I'll have to talk to them...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Trinity dragged herself into the mess the next morning, She hadn't slept more than two hours, and the dark circles under her eyes showed it. Mechanically she got herself a bowl of goop and sat down at the table. She didn't even glance up when Tank came in and sat down across from her.  
  
"Jeez, Trinity, you look like hell," he said, frowning. "What 's wrong?"  
  
She looked up at him and forced a smile.  
  
"I'm fine, I just didn't get much sleep," she explained.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked. "Nothings botherin you?" Her eyes flicked up to meet his. He knew had pushed it too far. Trinity hated people prying into her business.  
  
But god, she really does look awful. he thought.  
  
"I told you, I'm fine," she said, her voice warningly calm. Suddenly she stood up, grabbing her bowl. "I'd better get to work," she added as she dumped out the goop into a waste container and rinsed her bowl. Tank frowned as she walked out, the door swinging behind her.  
  
She hadn't eaten a single bite.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Neo hesitantly pushed open the door to the mess room. Seeing that She wasn't there, he walked in. It was just Tank. Tank twisted in his seat slightly to see who it was.  
  
"Oh hey, Neo," he called.  
  
"Hey," Neo mumbled as he poured himself some goop and made his way to the table. Glancing up, Tank shook his head. Neo looked worse than Trinity had. He was paler than a ghost. Tank cleared his throat, wondering if he should ask him.  
  
"So, um, do you know what's up with Trinity?" he asked casually, staring down at his goop and then sneaking a glance at Neo.  
  
Oops. he thought regretfully. Neo looked liked someone had stabbed him.  
  
"Uh - no," Neo answered a moment too late.  
  
Guess they had a fight or something...  
  
Neo traced circles through his goop with his spoon. He just wasn't hungry anymore. Suddenly he coughed, dropping his spoon into the goop. Tank glanced up.  
  
"That sounds pretty bad, man. You sick or something?" he asked. Neo just shook his head as he slowly ate some of the grayish mess. They sat in silence for a minute.  
  
Suddenly Neo got up and dumped out the rest of his goop - half of it. Tank watched as he left and then shook his head.  
  
God, they're gonna be the death of each other if they don't make up! he thought as he swallowed the last spoonful of his 'breakfast'.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It took Morpheus some time to find Neo. He had looked in the mess, in Neo's quarters, and the control room. Finally he spotted him hunched over a computer in the engine room.  
  
"Neo," he called from the doorway.  
  
"Yeah?" said Neo as he stood up and faced him.  
  
"I need to speak with you. Come to the mess room in half an hour."  
  
"Sure," he answered, watching as his captain walked away.  
  
Trinity wasn't nearly so difficult to find. She was sitting in the control room, watching for Sentinels. She heard him come and flashed him a questioning look.  
  
"Come to the mess room in half an hour. I have something I must discuss with you," he said. She nodded distractedly, not even noticing when he left.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Neo walked into the mess and sat down at one of the tables. Apparently he was early, as Morpheus wasn't there yet. Drumming his fingers on the table, he wondered what this could be about.  
  
Tank could have told him that he thought I was sick...but no, that's not the kind of thing he would have a meeting over... He glanced up as Morpheus walked in.  
  
"Sir," he said respectfully. Morpheus just nodded and sat down at the end of the table. Neo shifted nervously as they sat there in silence. What was going on? Why wasn't he talking?  
  
It almost seems like he's waiting for something. he thought. Suddenly the door swung open, and Neo realized that Morpheus had been waiting for something - or more accurately, someone.  
  
Trinity froze when she pushed open the door to the mess room and saw Neo sitting there.  
  
What's he doing here? she thought. Morpheus looked up and saw her.  
  
"Trinity, sit down," he said pleasantly, normally.  
  
As if this is normal... she thought as she walked over and sat down at the table, closer to Morpheus than Neo.  
  
Morpheus cleared his throat and turned to look at them both.  
  
"I do not mean to pry," he began. "I do not mean to involve myself in things that I have no business being involved in. He paused for a moment and glanced from Trinity to Neo. "But this must stop. I do not know what it is between you two, but it will not be tolerated. We all must work together to get this ship in running order. You must learn to get over your differences." Standing up, he glanced between them again. "Do not leave until you have solved whatever problem it is that is causing so much trouble," he ordered. "Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Yes sir," Neo mumbled. Trinity merely nodded. They both watched as he left. The silence that stretched out seemed to last forever. Finally Neo turned towards her and looked into her eyes. "Trinity- I -" he paused for a moment, unsure of how to start. "I'm sorry for yelling," he said softly, glancing down and then looking at her again. "It's just that - I just got so frustrated. You always looked so sad, and you would never tell me what was wrong. I could never help." He stifled a cough on the back of his hand and waited to see what she would say.  
  
"Neo, it's not your fault," she said with a sigh. "Sometimes I just...can't deal with this. I don't how to. I can't deal with never knowing if you won't make it out one day. I can't deal with always being so afraid of losing you," she admitted softly, picking at her fingernails. She heard him get up and as she looked up she saw him walking over to her. He sat down next to her and took one of her hands.  
  
"Trin, I'll always come back. I promise you. I couldn't not come back, not knowing that you're still here," he told her.  
  
"But what if -" she began. He cut her off with a shake of his head.  
  
"I promise. I will always come back," he said again. She shifted closer to him and he wrapped his arm around her.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Neo. I missed you so much," she said, for once in her life not afraid to admit that she needed someone. He smiled at her and for a moment they were silent.  
  
Neo's dry, hacking cough cut through the silent air. Trinity squeezed his hand, concern written all over her face. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes searching his face. He cleared his throat and nodded. She eyed him suspiciously before deciding to drop it for the moment.  
  
If it gets any worse, I 'll drag him to the Med Bay myself.  
  
"We'd better get back to work," she said regretfully. He sighed and stood up.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." Slowly they left, reluctant to leave each other after being apart for so long.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, stupid summer school homework was taking up all my time. Once again thanks for the reviews, and I'll update sooner than last time. Promise! 


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